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The City
Come to see, victory in a land of fantasy, Loving life, for you and me, to behold, to your soul is ecstasy You will find, other kind, that has been in search for you, Many lives has brought you to Recognize it's your life, now in review And as you stay for the play, fantasy, has in store for you, A glowing light will see you through ~Hymn of Eleria, Author unknown Eleria "The City by the Spire" ☀One of the wealthiest and most influential places in the world. In ages long past, three great families from three warring states agreed to set aside their differences to trace the routes of the Arcane leylines, veins of pure magic that coursed through the body of the planet. House Falindalara, long lived elves sensitive to the arcane, were among the first committed to tracking these unseen fonts of magic. House Silverblood, stout dwarves of practical and logistical mind, resolved to organize the journey and help build wherever they could to secure the legacy of the expedition. House Rivani, the clever and persuasive humans, used their wits to secure passage for the expedition through treacherous terrain and circumstances. The adventure concluded by the sea where the leylines they had followed seemed to converge with a multitude of others. It was in this spot, in a land of overwhelming magical potential, that these three Houses began to build what would eventually become the city of Eleria and the Beginnings of the state of Eleristrat. Government The city state of Eleristrat is run by a council situated within Eleria comprised of the heads of thirteen major noble houses and one anonymous council leader to dictate and oversee ruling of the council in addition to tasks such as breaking stalemates and on rare occasions vetoing decisions. This council normally deals with large scale decisions as a group whereas smaller more specialized problems will be dealt with by a council representative more specialized in the affected field of work; for example if there was word of a new fleet of pirates in Eleria’s waters then House Tucado (the major noble family representing The Docks) would be the ones to deal with the problem themselves unless it escalates. Society While classically the heart of a human empire, Eleria boasts a diverse populace, with citizens of nearly all races from all of the world's many nations, thriving on the new innovations and ideas of its diverse citizenry. Eleristrat's tight alliances with the elven nations and the dwarven holds invited some of those nations’ greatest artisans inside Eleria's walls, and their friends and families soon followed until Eleria was home to a significant minority of elves and dwarves. Under the rule of the "Thirteen" Eleria developed into a city whose people valued innovation and collaboration, especially in small, cohesive groups—virtues that some historians believe had given rise to the prominence of the modern adventuring party seen today. Predjudice Though the people of Eleria have come a long way, prejudice and discrimination still burns like a lingering fever. Overt racism is most common in the Oldtown district, where gentrification threatens to eradicate the culture of one of Eleria's oldest immigrant districts. The scholarly elite of the Noble and Guildsman Districts like to pretend they are too enlightened to succumb to bigotry, their wealth and power allows them to leave their own prejudices unexamined. While elves and dwarves are fully welcomed into society for their stereotypical characteristics (elven beauty and arcane talent, dwarven honesty and metallurgical prowess), tieflings, half-orcs, and dragonborn rarely rise among Eleria's highest societal ranks. Crime Hundreds of tunnels run beneath Eleria, the forgotten remnants of paved-over neighborhoods and secret passageways made by thieves’ guilds during the founding of Eleria. These tunnels have now become a wretched hive of scum and villainy, where all manner of thieves, killers, fences, and spies are gathered underneath their own banners. Some petty criminals look up to these shunned souls of society, committing ambitious crimes in hopes of gaining their attention. Though politicians and commoners alike are aware of this unsavory “auditioning”, it has once again soured the reputation of the City Watch. Climate and Weather Eleria is not a tourist destination for its climate. The city is more temperate and prone to rain showers than most but those who call it home swear they wouldn’t trade their rain for all the sun in Texania. The city is blessed with cool summers and warm winters, thanks to its proximity to the cool Azure Sea. Though snow rarely falls on the city itself, it relies on springtime snowmelt from the Northern Mountains to fill its reservoirs throughout the year. Eleria is, in almost all senses, a city fated by water; were there anyone powerful enough to starve its farms and reservoirs, the city would be theirs. Districts of Eleria The highest portion of the city, the Nobles’ Quarter, is built at the base of the Spire. From there, the level of the city drops down a sharp cliff to Oldtown, and then down again into Midtown. The final cliffs at the edge of Eleria drop into the Emerald Bay, with the only area of dry land at the bottom of those cliffs is occupied by the city docks. Well-worn paths connect the various elevations and help make Eleria very defensible. The King’s River flows through the city, spilling into an eroded chasm in the northwest corner and flowing down to the Emerald Bay near the docks. The bottom of the chasm, called the King’s River Gorge, is eighty feet below the level of the ground on its north side, but more than two hundred feet below on its south side. The south side still holds the old city walls and fortifications. A bridge built upon two massive pillars, erected atop naturally formed rock columns, stretches across the King’s River Gorge at a steep angle, leading into the area of the city known as Oldtown. Another bridge called the "Dragon's Causeway" stretches across the chasm to join Oldtown with the Rivergate District. Although Oldtown is higher, the difference in elevation between these two districts is negligible, thus the slope of this bridge seems far less noticeable than that of the others. The Docks Far below street level, the Docks rest on a narrow strip of land at the bottom of the city’s eastern cliffs. The wooden buildings here sit slightly askew from one another, because the entire small district is built upon slowly sinking sand, even the streets are composed of compacted sand. A dozen or more ships moor in this deep water harbor at any given time. This is a particularly rough portion of Eleria, thanks to the influx of sailors and its isolation from other districts. A single winding road provides access up a steep incline to the city proper. Guildsman District Eleria is teeming with guilds. Every type of artisan, smith, or other professional, belongs to a collection of similarly trained and employed individuals. This district in the south eastern end of the city houses many tanneries, smithies, foundries, textile houses, grain mills, paper mills, brick makers, bookmakers, woodworkers, and other production facilities, as well as warehouses, granaries, coalhouses, stockyards, and similar storage sites in addition to the city's half dozen University's and it's only general college the Erudite Academy. Midtown As the central area of the city, Midtown is both a commercial and a residential hub. It is also, where one finds many local entertainment offerings, in the form of pubs and taverns as well as theaters, dance halls, gambling dens, and more. Visitors looking for a place to stay usually find themselves directed here, as most of the city’s temporary lodgings are in Midtown. * The Guild Hall The Necropolis A city several centuries old tends to have a large graveyard, and Eleria is no exception. The vast Necropolis in the city’s northeastern corner sits on a few rolling hills, now completely covered with mausoleums, crypts, and graves. A wall surrounds the entire Necropolis, with guards posted at each of its four gates. * Necropolis Nobles’ Quarter Ptolus has no shortage of wealth or wealthy people. Technically, outside the city’s walls, the Nobles’ Quarter, with its row upon row of manors and estates, climbs the city’s western cliffs abutting the Spire itself. North Market When one enters the city from the north, one is greeted with the sights and smells of a busy marketplace. Well-worn cobblestone streets are packed with vendors occupying wooden booths, pushing carts, or simply hawking wares they tote in massive baskets on their backs. Fresh foods of all kinds—fish and shellfish from the sea, fruit from the orchards to the north, and local breads and pastries being favorites—are available in any quantity. Other goods are for sale in small shops, tents, or from the backs of wagons. Oldtown The stone and marble buildings of Oldtown reflect a grander, earlier age. Graceful columns, majestic entrances, tall stone towers, and buildings of three or even four stories are common sights here. Yet all bear the signs of age and wear. Today many of these buildings house the bureaucracy the Empire forces upon the city. Still others are museums or homes for the wealthy. There are wonderful theaters, auditoriums, and even a grand Arena in this large district of the city. Rivergate District Strictly, a residential area, the Rivergate District is as close to a “middle class” neighborhood as Eleria gets. It is located on a rise of land, surrounded by cliffs on all sides except the northeast, where a steep slope mostly free of buildings and covered in trees rolls down to the North Market and the main North Gate. South Market To locals, the North Market is simply “the Market,” while this area is the “South Market.” Unlike its counterpart, the South Market is not an open-air marketplace. It has fewer vendors dealing out of carts and more established shops and places of business. Goods usually cost more in the South Market, but a buyer is far more likely to find trustworthy and reliable salespeople here. Temple District Temples, churches, shrines, and small monasteries fill this district in the north central part of town, with the Street of a Million Gods running through it from north to south. Even the Blessed Bridge across the King’s River here has small shrines built upon and into it. The Warrens The Warrens in the eastern part of town is a terrible slum sick with poverty and crime. Rumors say that the City Watch will not go down into the Warrens. The streets here have no names, and most of the buildings are not marked—the place is not friendly to outsiders. Category:Locations